>>tonight could mark the beginning of the end of the republican presidential primary as front runner mitt romney passes the halfway point to delegates needed for the nomination, as he sweeps wisconsin, maryland, and washington d.c. . >> we're going to stop the days of apologizing we will never again apologize for america and abroad. >> [cheering]. >> together we are going

to build the greatest america we have of her known where prosperity is grown and shared not talented and divided. there was a time not so long ago when the egyptians could walk and stand a little taller because of americans. it was something special to all of us. we do it without question. those days are coming back. troy me and walk together .. .

>>there you heard from mitt romney. . >> as everybody keeps saying it's all about those three states. romney has won 80 of those delegates which pushes him to 644 of the 1100 delegates. . >> he called it halftime tierick santorum called at halftime with mitt romney isn't over. >> tomorrow's

pennsylvania. pennsylvania is going to be an expensive state. . >> let's talk about pennsylvania. if it's not over for wrecks santorum right now it's going to come down the path to his home state. >> a few other factors too. new york and pennsylvania are all on the same night and those are not winner-take-all nightstates. santorum needs to either win or block romney from winning. >> how did the race is impact the party as a whole. >> the other day... we

look at the results tonight's newt gingrich's not a factor. ron paul is going to get his 7-11% support. he's not a factor anymore. >> gingrich could be in a position to join with rick santorum and unite the party and a certain way. >> the bottom line is that's what we've had. >>president obama launched a major assault today on the house-passed republican budget that's been embraced by g-o-p

candidate mitt romney. the president called it "social darwinism" saying it would stifle the american dream. mister obama is calling for what he says is a balanced approach to the deficit. . >> absolutely we have to get serious about the deficit and that's going to require sacrifice and i've party shown myself as someone willing to make the sacrifices. >>the president said if you adjust for the economy, overall spending next year will be lower than any year under former president ronald reagan. >>one of the last to be sentenced in the operation board games investigation...an old friend, confidante and aide to the ex-governor is now preparing prison, too. today lon monk learned how long his stay behind bars will be. wgn's julie unruh has more on the story from the newsroom. >>lon monk, once a sports agent and son of a wealthy southern california doctor-in a matter of months will be an inmate along with a

handful of others who dared to do business with rod blagojevich when he was running the state of illinois. monk plead guilty to one count of wire fraud in exchange for his testimony against his best friend the former governor. for it he agreed to serve 2 years in prison. today a federal judge upheld that deal made with prosecutors. but the judge didn't stop there. he stated monk is perhaps more culpible than others. he knew blagojevich personally and later worked with him professionally. he of all people should have known full well what he was dealing with when he took a job with rod blagojevich. >>he left the dirksen as quietly as he has in years past today's sentencing the end of a painful chapter for lon monk. at one time he was riding high... standing by the side of his good friend from law school rod blagojevich as the blue collar kid was elected to the highest office in the state. lon monk was blagojevich's fundraiser..chief of staff and later a lobbyist making upwards of a million dollars a year because of his relationship with rod blagojevich. his world crumbled when the feds came calling. allegations of extortion to the tune of $100,000 forced monk to testify against his longtime friend in one of the more public criminal

cases in recent years. the players taken down, political fundraiser tony rezko private businessman chris kelly, former chief of staff john harris. and yes, lon monk. before trial chris kelly took his own life. >>rezko got 10 1/2 years. john harris-- just 10 days. new york financier joe cari got no time behind bars. and today, lon monk got 2 years. the disparity alarming to monk's lawyer and to patti blagojevich, too. her husband got 14 years. in court, judge zagel said : >>i think one aspect that cuts against lon monk: he knew what kind of a man the governor was. i think you knew sooner than john harris did and you knew the governor's relentless persistence to get his own way. >>prosecutors contend the close and unique relationship between monk and blagojevich meant monk had the ability to say no. but he didn't. he continued to squeeze his own client, a racetrack owner, for $100,000 campaign donation for blagojevich. a converstation about it captured by the fbi.

today lon monk told the judge: >>i'm sorry for what i've done. i regret it. i'm looking forward to coming back a better person, a better husband, a better father, a better friend. >>monk has asked to serve his 2 year sentence at the federal camp in terra haute indiana--the same place former governor george ryan is serving out his time. lon monk reports is to surrender on july 6th. a sign that operation board games is soon coming to a close. >>an attorney from aurora is one of five people injured when a small airplane crashed into a shopping center in florida. 60-year old kim presbrey of aurora, and a second person on the plane is also believed to be from illinois. both were treated for third- degree burns. three people inside the

store were also badly burned. witnesses reported the plane showing signs of trouble before it came crashing down. . >> today official sign the plane lost power and witnesses were quick to call 911. >>oh my god. >> an airplane...oh my god. >>that's one of the 911 calls. initial reports said a mechanical problem caused the crash. the faa is investigating. >>as many as a dozen tornadoes touched down in the dallas-fort worth area this afternoon, causing widespread damage. despite the wreckage, there are no reported deaths and only a handful of injury reports. hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged. in one case, a photographer caught a tornado tearing through a truck yard, picking up semi-trailers and

throwing them more than 100 feet. for those in the center of the storms, it was a surreal experience. . >> you are trying to find a place to go it was devastating. >> i didn't see at and i know that happened. >>hundreds of flights were cancelled at the areas 2 major airports. dozens of planes were reported damaged by hail and winds at dallas fort worth international. >>the major severe weather threat in texas has died down, right tom skilling? . >> that's right but it's going to reassemble tomorrow towards even alabama maybe. and our own area we have had a big weather change. it was near 90 in the southern suburbs. tonight its near 40 degrees colder. we have colder temperatures for the rest of the week.

the easter weekend could warm all aleph details coming upup. >>also ahead tonight. the mayor says he's close to a deal with the cubs on renovating wrigley field. will the money come from your tax dollars? and later, pull up those pants, or face a punishment.

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>>the city of chicago and the cubs getting closer to reaching a deal to renovate wrigley field. our gaynor hall is live in front of wrigley field and says there are still plenty of questions to be answered. >>the mayor says the city and the cubs are in the final stages of talks. but, how they plan to pay for the renovations remains unclear. . >> i want the money going towards education and things we need. >>two days before opening day at wrigley field mayor rahm emanuel saying the city is close to reaching an agreement with the owners of the chicago cubs to give the 98 year old ballpark a facelift. >>we're in the final stages of some good

conversations. >>conversations that have been going on for a long time. the ricketts family bought the cubs in 09 and have supported a plan to use city and county amusement tax revenue, collected from ticket sales to pay for the renovations. at a panel discussion tonight sponsored by loyola university at the union league club tom ricketts outlined his family's goals for the team. >>to renovate and modernize the ballpark. >>but, he woudn't talk with us about the negotiations. a cubs spokesperson issued this statement saying: >>we continue to have discussions with the city, state, county and our wrigleyville neighbors to ensure wrigley field remains a leading source of tourism, tax revenue and employment. we know efforts like these take time and we will continue to work hard to reach a consensus. >>sentiments echoed by the president of the cook coumty board. >>i'm open to discussion with the cubs and the city. >>mayor emanuel offering no details on the financing options currently on the table

but, said he wouldnt pump taxpayer money into improving the field while the owners use their money for other development like the proposed triangle building, that would house a restaurant, shops, and the team's offices next to the ballpark. >>whatever we do to enhance the value of wrigley field will be to make sure the private owners enhance the value of wrigley field. . >> the final plan remains to be seen the mayor is still putting together the pieces. how this renovation plan plays out is certainly have great interest to all of the people who own homes and businesses around the ballpark and cubs fans. >>a new look, but the same style- next, nike unveils the new bears uniforms.

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today. we had a 80 degree temperatures within 35 mi. of the loop. temperatures actually got close to 90 in some parts. look at these beautiful shots. gardenia captured these gorgeous lilacs. the one downside is that there was paula in the air because of them these little clouds of this kind of an ammonia from better going to come through. lake is dropping temperatures down to the dew point in the '40's. ratings have plunged 40 degrees.

there was a big storm the outbreak that tim hit to the dallas tx. we were turning cool, and if a big sprawling canadian high coming in for the next few days. the temperature drops are already taking place. here's the warmth that came up to our doorstop. there are some cool air up to thehe north. it was 89 and pontiac. wheatfields indiana was 84 today. tonight the coulee artist coming again. it's 44 at green bay.

it's 51 and morris which was then the 80s today. gusty wind is adding to the chill. the wind is sustained water temperatures are still worn at 52 degrees in the chicago area. we have moderate values of pollen. the average last freeze date is april 17th. the latest date we've had a freeze was made 25 in 1992. may 25 1992. the

next two weeks we will see up to 2 in. of rain it's going to be cool and windy this weekend that includes for the cubs ( opener. things are not going to be moving very fast. the cool air is going to set in place. here is that 10 day forecast. i want to assure you the warm. we will get into the 60s on saturday and sunday. then more cool air comes again and this could put temperatures in the 40's and even put some snow sprinkles by early next week. we're

watching temperatures dropped to the forties tonight and they are going to rise on a little bit tomorrow. the settlement chills.we will come back later on and show you some other temperatures in the metro area. we'll also take a look at the storms in the south. wendy and much cooler and clearing tonight with temperatures in the upper 30's and land. sunny and windy and even cooler tomorrow it's

going to be 53. tane to it's going to be in the mid-30s and coal. ol. sunday when he and chilly on thursday. it's going to be bright and sunny and cool. >>chicago's englewood neighborhood at night through the eyes of the city's top cop. next, the new strategies to fighting gang violence in the community. h@

' have a live update from daniel. >> i'm about 20 mi. east from downtown dallas for about 20-40 homes were damaged. this one is the worst you can see all but one of back peace. 20-24 homes were damaged. officials tell me only some minor injuries and no serious injuries and no deaths. this came right in the middle of the afternoon so the most people are at work people listened to their warnings and got to safe places. right now there's a

curfew in place. for those that don't have a place to live tonight a shelter has been set up at an elementary school. everybody is very grateful this evening that there were no serious injuries or deaths. . >> that's an amazing story. it's unbelievable. no fatalities. >> let's go to the tom skilling in the weather center. >> we have for tornado seminar coming of one week from saturday. attached noon. we have full details

on our website it's one week from this saturday. our weather. tomorrow night, there's going to be frost in the upper midwest. parts of northern wisconsin are only going to be in the '20s. here's what remains of those storms in the south. there have been some thunderstorms that have developed south of our area. the big storms are down to the south and we're just getting really quick look at these. we're

going to be watching those areas carefully. 53 then the forecast tomorrow. it's going to be sunny on friday but still cooler. there could be a thunderstorm late saturday. we're going to be in the low 40's by tuesday of next week. . >> those are great easter sunday animations. >>the chicago bears have new uniforms. here's linebacker brian urlacher showing it off nike has taken over from reebok in making the uniforms. the colors and numbers didn't change, but some of the striping, fabric and fit are different. for example, the numbers moved from the sleeves to the shoulders.

also, the sleeves have an extra orange-and- white stripe and feature a more prominent "gsh" tribute to founder george s. halas. the nfl's 31 other teams also have new uniforms. >>coming up, jonathan toews continued progress has the blackhawks captain eyeing a return to game action before the end of the regular season. and before he was player of the year and the final four's most outstanding player, anthony davis was an honor roll student at a small local high school. dan roan has more coming up in sports. i'm carol, and this is my cvs pharmacist. i had to switch my insurance plan. but then my prescriptions got more expensive. i felt helpless... frustrated. it was very frustrating. then john... maurice... jill stepped in... made some calls... and saved me hundreds of dollars. that's a lot. it meant a lot to me. taking the time to help you with insurance questions. another reason to transfer your prescriptions today. ♪ i'm carol, and i bring all my prescriptions to my cvs.

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